Peniocereus greggii

The night-blooming cereus is a cactus of the Sonoran and Chihuahuan deserts. It has thin, stick-like stems that hide inside desert shrubs, and a huge underground tuber. It wants hot summers, a cool dry winter, and a deep, very well-drained pot to protect the tuber from rot. Its scented white flowers open for one night in early summer.

At home, aim for

Day Cool-growingTargets in Plantistry

Night Close to the dayTargets in Plantistry

Humidity Dry airBand in Plantistry

Light Bright, filtered lightDLI and PPFD in Plantistry

Expects a seasonal restGrows in the ground

Where it grows wild

Grows in desert scrub on silty to gravelly flats and washes. The stems usually grow up through nurse shrubs such as creosote bush and mesquite, which shade and support them.

Grows at about 300-1,500 m. Few GBIF records carry an elevation.

ArizonaNew MexicoWest TexasSonoraChihuahuaCoahuilaDurangoZacatecas

🔒 Growing it like that

The wild conditions above, turned into targets for a shelf, a tent or a greenhouse. The full profile has:

✓ Day and night temperature targets, and the limits it tolerates

✓ Humidity band, and how to hold it

✓ Light as DLI and PPFD for a grow light

✓ Wet and dry seasons, and whether to rest it

✓ Substrate and airflow

✓ A step-by-step setup to grow it like the wild

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More Peniocereus

Peniocereus striatus

Profiles are drafts built from measured range and climate and from published sources; each section carries its own confidence in the app. Photo from Wikimedia Commons, used under its CC BY-SA 4.0 licence, unmodified.